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Winter is Coming: Grab a Production Deal

Why winter is the best time to grab a production deal

It’s that time of year when the nights are drawing in, the Halloween lanterns are primed and Christmas parties are being planned. It’s also traditionally the season when the TV and film industry is at its least busy as productions wind down for the winter months.

But if you think about it, that doesn’t make financial sense. With the majority of productions packed into the summer months every line in the budget will be maximised as projects compete for time, equipment, crew and space. In the autumn and winter, however, smart thinking production managers may be in for a pleasant surprise.

We’ve come to expect better rates if we book during off-peak periods in pretty much every other industry – transport, holidays, hotels. Why should the same not apply to filming?

Camera rental companies are bound to have more inventory on their shelves. The same goes for lighting and hire of all the standard auxiliary shooting kit. Will DPs, camera operators, DITs and sound mixers feel able to command as high a fee as the rest of the year? Studio space, usually at such a premium, will also be impacted positively by simple supply and demand. All of which could add up to you getting much more for your budget.

Not all productions need to have 15 hrs of daylight and the smartest producers and line managers will always examine the potential of every angle to make their budget go farther.

Choosing to shoot and hire equipment in quieter months of the year has been one of the wisest moves we've made - VMI have not only given us a wonderful service, but they have been able to provide us with the very best resources and equipment for our latest movies FOX TRAP and 12 DEATHS OF CHRISTMAS - which we shot January last year and January this year! It's a great time for any filmmaker to be shooting and has truly benefitted our projects.

Clearly, if you’re thinking about this in December then it’s already too late. Which is why now is just the right time to consider greenlighting a project with principal photography through the winter months.

Don’t wait until the New Year with everyone else to scrabble for a bargain, when there are great tailored deals to be had today.

Image courtesy of Proportion Productions, shot on location during the production of "Fox Trap".

Article Details

Author: Barry Bassett

Date: 2017-10-16 16:21:50

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